Dynamic distributed power grid control system

ABSTRACT

A system for dynamically managing and controlling distributed energy resources in a transmission/distribution power grid is disclosed. A plurality of regions within a transmission/distribution power grid is autonomously managed using regional control modules. Each regional control module oversees the management and control of the transmission/distribution power grid and is further associated with a plurality of local control modules that interface with distributed energy resources within a region. Power production and power consumption are monitored and analyzed by the enterprise control module which, upon determining that power consumption within a region does not match power producing capability, dynamically reallocates distributed energy resources throughout the grid keeping the system balance. Power flow at key nodes within the network are monitored and analyzed by the local control modules, regional control modules, and enterprise control modules with compensating actions taken in the event that system parameter risks violating safety, stability, or operational thresholds.

RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is a continuation of, and claims prioritybenefit to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/846,520 filed Jul. 29,2010 which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/257,834 filed Nov. 3, 2009, both of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes as if fullyset forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the present invention relate, in general, to power gridsand more particularly to systems and methods for controlling allocation,production, and consumption of power in an electric power grid.

2. Relevant Background

An electrical grid is not a single entity but an aggregate of multiplenetworks and multiple power generation companies with multiple operatorsemploying varying levels of communication and coordination, most ofwhich are manually controlled. A smart grid increases connectivity,automation and coordination among power suppliers and power consumersand the networks that carry that power for performing eitherlong-distance transmissions or local distribution.

Today's alternating current power grid was designed in the latter partof the 19th century. Many of the implementation decisions andassumptions that were made then are still in use today. For example, thecurrent power grid includes a centralized unidirectional electric powertransmission system that is demand driven. Over the past 50 years theelectrical grid has not kept pace with modern challenges. Challengessuch as security threats, national goals to employ alternative energypower generation, conservation goals, a need to control peak demandsurges, uninterruptible demand of power, and new digital control devicesput in question the ability of today's electrical distribution grid. Tobetter understand the nature of these challenges, a firm grasp ofcurrent power generation and distribution is necessary.

The existing power grid starts at a power generation plant andthereafter distributes electricity through a variety of powertransmission lines to the power consumer. The power producer or supplierin almost all cases consists of a spinning electrical generator.Sometimes the spinning generators are driven by a hydroelectric dam,large diesel engines or gas turbines, but in most cases the generator ispowered by steam. The steam may be created by burning coal, oil, naturalgas or in some cases a nuclear reactor. Electric power can also beproduced by chemical reactions, direct conversion from sunlight and manyother means.

The power produced by these generators is alternating current. Unlikedirect current, alternating current oscillates much like a sine waveover a period of time. Alternating current (AC) operating as a singlesine wave is called single phase power. Existing power plants andtransmission lines carry three different phases of AC powersimultaneously. Each of these phases are offset 120° from each other andeach phase is distributed separately. As power is added to the grid, itmust be synchronized with the existing phase of the particulartransmission line it is utilizing.

As this three-phase power leaves the generator from a power station, itenters a transmission substation where the generated voltage isup-converted to an extremely high number for long-distance transmission.Then, upon reaching a regional distribution area, the high transmissionvoltage is stepped down to accommodate a local or regional distributiongrid. This step down process may happen in several phases and usuallyoccurs at a power substation.

FIG. 1 shows a typical power distribution grid as is known to oneskilled in the art. As shown, three power generation plants 110 servicethree distinct and separate regions of power consumers 150. Each powerplant 110 is coupled to its power consumer 150 via distribution lines140. Interposed between the power producer 110 and the power consumer150 are one or more transmission substations 125 and power sub-stations130. FIG. 1 also shows that the power production plants are linked viahigh-voltage transmission lines 120.

From each power production plant 110, power is distributed to thetransmission substation 125 and thereafter, stepped down to the powersubstations 130 which interfaces with a distribution bus, placingelectricity on a standard line voltage of approximately 7200 volts.These power lines are commonly seen throughout neighborhoods across theworld, and carry power to the end-user 150. Households and mostbusinesses require only one of the three phases of power that aretypically carried by the power lines. Before reaching each house, adistribution transformer reduces the 7200 volts down to approximately240 volts and converts it to normal household electrical service.

The current power distribution system involves multiple entities. Forexample, production of power may represent one entity, while the longdistance transmission of power another. Each of these companies interactwith one or more distribution networks that ultimately deliver power tothe power consumer. While the divisions of control described herein arenot absolute, they nonetheless represent a hurdle for dynamic control ofpower over a distributed power grid.

Under the current power distribution grid, should the demand for powerby a group of power consumers exceed the production capability of theirassociated power production facility, that facility can purchase excesspower from other networked power producers. There is a limit to thedistance power can be reliably and efficiently transported, thus asconsumer demand increases, more regional power producers are required.The consumer has little control over who produces the power it consumes.

Electrical distribution grids of this type have been in existence anduse for over 100 years. And while the overall concept has notsignificantly changed, it has been extremely reliable. However, it isbecoming increasingly clear that the existing power grid is antiquated,and that new and innovative control systems are necessary to modify themeans by which power is efficiently distributed from the producer to theconsumer. For example, when consumer demand for power routinely exceedsthe production capability of a local power production facility, theowner and operator of the local power network considers addingadditional power production capability, or alternatively -, a portion ofthe consumers are denied service, i.e. brown-outs. To add additionalpower to the grid, a complicated and slow process is undertaken tounderstand and control new electrical power distribution options. Thecapability of the grid to handle the peak demands must be known andmonitored to ensure safe operation of the grid, and, if necessary,additional infrastructure must be put in place. This process can takeyears and fails to consider the dynamic nature of electrical productionand demand.

One aspect highlighting the need to modify existing power distributioncontrol systems is the emergence of alternative and renewable powerproduction sources, distributed storage systems, demand managementsystems, smart appliances, and intelligent devices for networkmanagement. These options each require active power management of thedistribution network, substantially augmenting the control strategiesthat are currently utilized for distribution power network management.

Existing network management solutions lack the distributed intelligenceto manage power flow across the network on a multitude of timescales.This void is especially evident, since new power generation assets beingconnected to the grid are typically owned by different organizations andcan be used for delivering different benefits to different parties atdifferent times. Conventional electric power system management tools aredesigned to operate network equipment and systems owned by the networkoperators themselves. They are not designed to enable dynamictransactions between end-users (power consumers), service providers,network operators, power producers, and other market participants.

Existing power grids were designed for one-way flow of electricity andif a local sub-network or region generates more power than it isconsuming, the reverse flow of electricity can raise safety andreliability issues. A challenge, therefore, exists to dynamically managepower production assets in real time, and to enable dynamic transactionsbetween various energy consumers, asset owners, service providers,market participants, and network operators. These and other challengespresent in the current power distribution grid are addressed by one ormore embodiments of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system for dynamic control and distribution of power over adistributed power grid is hereafter described by way of example.According to one embodiment of the present invention, a multi-layeredcontrol architecture is integrated into the existing power transmissionand distribution grid, so as to enable dynamic management of powerproduction, distribution, storage, and consumption (collectivelydistributed energy resources). This dynamic control is complemented bythe ability to model proposed power distribution solutions prior toimplementation, thereby validating that the proposed power distributionsolution will operate within the existing infrastructure's physical andregulatory limitations.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a distributedcontrol system is interfaced with an existing power distribution grid toefficiently control power production and distribution. The distributedcontrol system has three primary layers: i) enterprise control module,ii) regional control modules, and iii) local control modules. Anenterprise control module is communicatively coupled to existingsupervisory control and data acquisition systems, and to a plurality ofregional control modules. The regional control modules are integratedinto existing transmission sub-stations and distribution sub-stations tomonitor and issue control signals to other devices or control modules todynamically manage power flows on the grid. Each regional control moduleis further associated with a plurality of local control modules thatinterface with power producers, including steam driven electricgenerators, wind turbine farms, hydroelectric facilities andphotoelectric (solar) arrays, storage resources such as thermal orelectric storage devices and batteries on electric vehicles, and demandmanagement systems or smart appliances

Each local control module falls under the direction of a regionalcontrol module for management and control of its associated powerproducer, consumer, or device. By standardizing control responses, theregional control module is operable to manage power production,distribution, storage and consumption within its associated region. Inanother embodiment of the present invention, regional control modules,via the enterprise control module, can identify a request for additionalpower production. Knowing the production capability of other regionalareas and whether they possess excess capacity, the enterprise controlmodule can direct a different regional control module to increase powerproduction to produce excess power or tap stored energy. The excesspower can then be transmitted to the region in need of power fordistribution.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, modificationsto the power production and distribution system can be simulated in realtime to determine whether a proposed solution to meet increased powerconsumption demands is within regulatory, safety guidelines and/orsystem capabilities. Upon validating that a proposed solution can beachieved, it can be implemented using real-time controls.

Another aspect of the present invention includes managing enterpriselevel power load demands, energy production and distribution across apower grid. As demand changes are driven by a plurality of powerconsumers, the enterprise control module can detect the need foradditional power by one or more regional control modules. In addition,the enterprise control module can receive data regarding each regionalcontrol module's ability to produce excess power in relation to itslocal consumer demand. The enterprise control module can issue commandsto one or more regional control modules to increase power production ordecrease consumption as well as reroute excess power. Receiving such acommand, the regional control modules communicate with the powerproducers within its region to increase power production. The commandtransmitted to each power producer is standardized to ensure consistentproduction response by the variety of power production optionsassociated with a distributed power grid. The local control modules andthe regional control modules are also capable of independently takingaction to keep supply and demand in balance if very fast action isrequired to keep the system in a stable operating condition.

The present invention further possesses the ability to automaticallyrespond to changes in network structure, asset availability, powergeneration levels, or load conditions without requiring anyreprogramming. According to one embodiment of the present invention theenterprise control module as well as the regional and local controlmodules possess knowledge of known components of the distributed energygrid. As new components of a known class are connected to the grid, forexample an additional wind turbine, the various layers of the presentinvention immediately recognized it as a wind turbine possessingparticular characteristics and capabilities. Knowing thesecharacteristics and capabilities the present invention can issuecommands seamlessly with respect to the production or power and itsdistribution. Upon a command being issued the regional and local controlmodules can provide to each component the correct information such thatit will be understood by that device and perform as expected. Thepresent invention also possesses the capability to recognize componentsthat are foreign to the distributed grid. Upon a unrecognized devicebeing coupled to the grid, the local control module initiates an inquiryto identify that devices characteristics, properties, and capabilities.That information is added to the repository of information and isthereafter used to facilitate communication with and control of thedevice. This process may be manual or automatic.

The present invention further enables the enterprise control module toexpose functional capabilities to other applications for implementingdifferent types of services. Examples include a feeder peak loadmanagement application that uses an import/export function provided bythe controller to limit the maximum load experienced by that feeder atthe substation, and a reliability application that can issue an “island”command to a regional control module to separate from the grid andoperate independently using local generation resources and load control.By using functional capabilities exposed by the enterprise controlmodule, many applications can use power generating, consuming, andassets storing capabilities of the network without compromising itsstability or violating operating limits.

The present invention provides method and systems to enable generaltransactions between different service providers and service subscribersautomatically (dynamic transactions between power consumers, serviceproviders, network operators, power producers, and other marketparticipants), while maintaining the stability and reliability of gridoperations. The multi-layered approach of the present invention providesa stable interface between applications which operate on the front endof the system and devices which interface with the back end. In doing soboth applications and devices experience a “Plug an Play” experiencewhich is capitalized upon to manage the distributed power grid. Anexample would be how a peak load management application automaticallyfinds and uses available generators to ensure that a demand limit is notexceeded on a distribution feeder. This is analogous to a wordprocessing application automatically finding an available networkprinter when needed.

The features and advantages described in this disclosure and in thefollowing detailed description are not all-inclusive. Many additionalfeatures and advantages will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in therelevant art in view of the drawings, specification, and claims hereof.Moreover, it should be noted that the language used in the specificationhas been principally selected for readability and instructional purposesand may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe theinventive subject matter; reference to the claims is necessary todetermine such inventive subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The aforementioned and other features and objects of the presentinvention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent,and the invention itself will be best understood, by reference to thefollowing description of one or more embodiments taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a legacy power distribution grid as known in the prior art;

FIG. 2 shows a high level process overlay of a system for controlling adistributed power grid according to one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3A is a high level block diagram showing a process flow forimplementing distributed control methodology into a simulated powersystem according to one embodiment of the present invention;

3B is a high level block diagram showing a process flow for implementingthe distributed control methodology tested in 3A using a simulated powersystem into an actual power system without making any changes to thecontrol methodology according to one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a high level functional block diagram of a distributed energyresource network operating system (an alternative embodiment of thesmart grid controls presented in FIGS. 3A and 3B) for power production,topology and asset management according to one embodiment of the presentinvention, wherein new applications are using the functionalcapabilities exposed by a distributed energy resources network operatingsystem to implement more complex system capabilities as described inherein;

FIG. 5 is a high level block diagram of a multilayered architecture forcontrolling a distributed power grid according to one embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for local control module operations according toone embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for regional control module operations accordingto one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for enterprise control module operations accordingto one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of one method embodiment for controlling powerdistribution and production in a distributed power grid according to thepresent invention. In this embodiment demand reduction is captured asnegative generation.

The Figures depict embodiments of the present invention for purposes ofillustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize fromthe following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structuresand methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing fromthe principles of the invention described herein.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

As a convenience in describing the invention herein, the followingglossary of terms is provided. Because of the introductory and summarynature of this glossary, these terms must also be interpreted moreprecisely by the context of the Detailed Description in which they arediscussed.

Cloud Computing is a paradigm of computing in which dynamically scalableand often virtualized resources are provided as a service over theInternet. Users need not have knowledge of, expertise in, or controlover the technology infrastructure in the “cloud” that supports them.The term cloud is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on how theInternet is depicted in computer network diagrams, and is an abstractionfor the complex infrastructure it conceals.

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is a communications protocol for thetransfer of information on the Internet or a similar wide area network.HTTP is a request/response standard between a client and a server. Aclient is the end-user, the server is the web site. The client making aHTTP request—using a web browser, spider, or other end-user tool—isreferred to as the user agent. The responding server—which stores orcreates resources such as HTML files and images—is called the originserver. In between the user agent and the origin server may be severalintermediaries, such as proxies, gateways, and tunnels. HTTP is notconstrained to using TCP/IP (defined below) and its supporting layers,although this is its most popular application on the Internet.

A Web Server is a computer housing a computer program that isresponsible for accepting HTTP requests from web clients, which areknown as web browsers, and serving them HTTP responses along withoptional data contents, which usually are web pages such as HTMLdocuments and linked objects (images, etc.).

The Internet Protocol (IP) is a protocol used for communicating dataacross a packet-switched internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite,also referred to as TCP/IP. The Internet Protocol Suite is the set ofcommunications protocols used for the Internet and other similarnetworks. It is named from two of the most important protocols in it,the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP),which were the first two networking protocols defined in this standard.Today's IP networking represents a synthesis of several developmentsthat began to evolve in the 1960s and 1970s, namely the Internet andLANs (Local Area Networks), which emerged in the mid- to late-1980s,together with the advent of the World Wide Web in the early 1990s. TheInternet Protocol Suite, like many protocol suites, may be viewed as aset of layers. Each layer solves a set of problems involving thetransmission of data, and provides a well-defined service to the upperlayer protocols based on using services from some lower layers. Upperlayers are logically closer to the user and deal with more abstractdata, relying on lower layer protocols to translate data into forms thatcan eventually be physically transmitted. The TCP/IP model consists offour layers (RFC 1122). From lowest to highest, these are the LinkLayer, the Internet Layer, the Transport Layer, and the ApplicationLayer.

A wide area network (WAN) is a computer network that covers a broad area(i.e., any network whose communications links cross metropolitan,regional, or national boundaries). This is in contrast with personalarea networks (PANs), local area networks, campus area networks (CANs),or metropolitan area networks (MANs) which are usually limited to aroom, building, campus or specific metropolitan area (e.g., a city)respectively. WANs are used to connect local area networks and othertypes of networks together, so that users and computers in one locationcan communicate with users and computers in other locations. Many WANsare built for one particular organization and are private. Others, builtby Internet service providers, provide connections from anorganization's local area networks to the Internet.

A local area network (LAN) is a computer network covering a smallphysical area, like a home, office, or small group of buildings, such asa school, or an airport. The defining characteristics of LANs, incontrast to WANs, include their usually higher data-transfer rates,smaller geographic area, and lack of a need for leased telecommunicationlines.

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks thatuse the standardized Internet Protocol Suite, serving billions of usersworldwide. It is a network of networks that consists of millions ofprivate, public, academic, business, and government networks of local toglobal scope that are linked by copper wires, fiber-optic cables,wireless connections, and other technologies. The Internet carries avast array of information resources and services, most notably theinter-linked hypertext documents of the World Wide Web and theinfrastructure to support electronic mail. In addition, it supportspopular services such as online chat, file transfer and file sharing,gaming, commerce, social networking, publishing, video on demand,teleconferencing and telecommunications.

SCADA, or Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition refers to anindustrial control system, electric grid control system or computersystem used in conjunction with monitoring and controlling a process.Generally speaking, a SCADA system usually refers to a system thatcoordinates monitoring of sites or complexes of systems spread out overlarge areas. Most control actions are performed automatically by RemoteTerminal Units (RTUs) or by Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). Forpurposes of the present invention, SCADA is one of the many means bywhich the present invention gains power consumer demand information aswell as related data concerning the distributed power grid.

Distributed Energy Resources (DER) are assets, equipment, or systemscapable of producing power, storing/releasing energy, managingconsumption, and providing measurements and control distributedthroughout a power grid. Each of the resources varies as in type andcapability.

OPC ((Object Linking and Embedding) for Process Control) is a softwareinterface standard that allows Windows programs to communicate withindustrial hardware devices. OPC is implemented in server/client pairs.The OPC server is a software program that converts the hardwarecommunication protocol used by a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) (asmall industrial computer that controls one or more hardware devices)into the OPC protocol. The OPC client software is any program that needsto connect to the hardware. The OPC client uses the OPC server to getdata from or send commands to the hardware. Many interface standards andprotocols are available for exchanging information between applicationsor systems that the present invention utilizes for communicating withvarious DER, applications, and systems.

A Smart Grid delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers usingdigital technology to control energy production, consumption, storageand release, appliances at consumer's homes manage demand and/or saveenergy, reduce cost and increase reliability and transparency. Thedifference between a smart grid and a conventional grid is thatpervasive communications and intelligent control are used to optimizegrid operations, increase service choices, and enable activeparticipation of multiple service providers (including energy consumers)in a complex web of dynamic energy and services transactions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are hereafter described in detailwith reference to the accompanying Figures. Although the invention hasbeen described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity,it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by wayof example and that numerous changes in the combination and arrangementof parts can be resorted to by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Embodiments of the present invention enable the management and controlof a plurality of DER and network elements connected to a distributedpower grid. Unlike traditional power grids a smart power grid allowspower generation, storage, and load management within distributionnetworks on a local or regional level. To facilitate the generation,storage, load management and distribution of power the present inventionintegrates a multi-layer control system which acts to interface aplurality of diverse applications offering a variety of services to aplurality of diverse energy producing and controlling elements. Includedin the description below are flowcharts depicting examples of themethodology which may be used to control and manage a transmission anddistribution power grid using the capabilities of DER and systemsinstalled within it. In the following description, it will be understoodthat each block of the flowchart illustrations, and combinations ofblocks in the flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by computerprogram instructions. These computer program instructions may be loadedonto a computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a machinesuch that the instructions that execute on the computer or otherprogrammable apparatus create means for implementing the functionsspecified in the flowchart block or blocks. These computer programinstructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that candirect a computer or other programmable apparatus to function in aparticular manner such that the instructions stored in thecomputer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture, includinginstruction means that implement the function specified in the flowchartblock or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loadedonto a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series ofoperational steps to be performed in the computer or on the otherprogrammable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process suchthat the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmableapparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in theflowchart block or blocks.

Accordingly, blocks of the flowchart illustrations support combinationsof means for performing the specified functions and combinations ofsteps for performing the specified functions. It will also be understoodthat each block of the flowchart illustrations, and combinations ofblocks in the flowchart illustrations, can be implemented by specialpurpose hardware-based computer systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or steps, or combinations of special purpose hardware andcomputer instructions.

Currently, power grid systems have varying degrees of communicationwithin control systems for their high value assets, such as ingenerating plants, transmission lines, substations and major energyusers. In general, information flows one way, from the users and theloads they control back to the utilities. The utilities attempt to meetthe demand with generators that automatically follow the load andthereafter by dispatching reserve generation. They succeed or fail tovarying degrees (normal operations, brownout, rolling blackout,uncontrolled blackout). The total amount of power demand by the userscan have a very wide probability distribution which requires sparegenerating plants to operate in a standby mode, ready to respond to therapidly changing power usage. This grid management approach isexpensive; according to one estimate the last 10% of generating capacitymay be required as little as 1% of the time, and brownouts and outagescan be costly to consumers.

Existing power lines in the grid were originally built using a radialmodel, and later connectivity was guaranteed via multiple routes,referred to as a meshed network structure. If the current flow orrelated effects across the network exceed the limits of any particularnetwork element, it could fail, and the current would be shunted toother network elements, which eventually may fail also, causing a dominoeffect. A technique to prevent this is load shedding by a rollingblackout or voltage reduction (brownout).

Distributed generation allows individual consumers to generate poweronsite, using whatever generation method they find appropriate. Thisallows individuals to tailor their generation directly to their load,making them independent from grid power failures. But, if a localsub-network generates more power than it is consuming, the reverse flowcan raise safety and reliability issues resulting in a cascading failureof the power grid. Distributed generation can be added anywhere on thepower grid but such additional energy resources need to be properlycoordinated to mitigate negative impacts to the power system.Embodiments of the present invention address this need to safely andreliably control power production, distribution, storage, andconsumption in a distributed power grid.

According to one embodiment of the present invention a multilayercontrol system is overlaid and integrated onto the existing power grid.Using data collected in conjunction with existing SCADA systems, anenterprise control module governs overall power demand, control,management and distribution. This enterprise control module interactswith regional control modules, that serve to manage power production anddistribution on a local or regional level. Each regional control moduleinterfaces with multiple DER within its area of responsibility todynamically manage power production and consumption keeping the systemwithin its predefined reliability and safety limits. These three layers,the enterprise control module, the regional control module and the localcontrol module, form a distributed energy resource network operatingsystem which acts as a stable environment to which any one of aplurality of energy producers provide energy and one from which any oneof a plurality of energy consumers can draw energy. The system of thepresent invention enables the individual components of the power grid,energy consumers and producers, to change dynamically withoutdetrimentally affecting the stability and reliability of the distributedpower grid.

FIG. 2 shows a high level overlay of a communication system forcontrolling a distributed power grid according to one embodiment of thepresent invention. Traditional power generation facilities 110 arecoupled to substations 125 as are wind turbine farms 220 and solararrays 210. While FIG. 2 shows three forms of power generation, oneskilled in the art will recognize that the present invention isapplicable to any form of power generation or energy source. Indeed thepresent invention is equally capable of managing power added to thedistributed energy grid from batteries as may be found in electricvehicles as long as the power is compatible with the grid format.

Associated with each substation 125 is a regional control module 225.The regional control module manages power production, distribution, andconsumption using available DER within its region. Also associated witheach region are industrial loads 260 that would be representative oflarge commercial enterprises and residential loads 250. According to thepresent invention, each regional control module using one or moreapplications is operable to autonomously manage the power distributionand production within its region. Autonomous operation can also be inisland mode where the management of grid frequency and voltage areperformed at a fast enough rate to accomplish safe grid operations. Thepresent invention dynamically manages various modes of operation of theDER and grid to carry out these functions in addition to managing thepower flows.

Each power producing entity 210, such as the traditional powergeneration plants 110 and the renewable or alternative energy sources220, interfaces with the regional grid via a local control module 215.The local control module 215 standardizes control command responses witheach of the plurality of power producers. By offering to the regionalcontrol module 225 a standardized response from each of the plurality ofpower producing entities, the regional control module can activelymanage the power grid in a scalable manner. This means that thecontroller can dynamically alter its actions depending on the DER thatis available at any time. The distributed controller dynamically andautomatically compensates for assets that may be added, go out ofservice, fail, or lose connectivity. This capability gives the currentinvention a highly scalable nature minimizing the need to manuallychange the system every time there is a change in network structure orDER availability. This is a unique and distinguishing feature of thisinvention.

To better understand the versatility and scalability of the presentinvention, consider the following example. FIG. 2 shows a primary powergrid 205 (shown in dashed lines) overlaid with a power distributionmanagement network 200. Assume as depicted in FIG. 2 a regional controlmodule 225 is actively managing power production, consumption anddistribution of energy within its area of responsibility. To do so theregional control module 225 interacts with the enterprise control module275 which in turn gives the regional control module 225 access to smartgrid controls 285, data 280 and other management applications that areassociated with the enterprise control module 275. In this exampleconsider that the area of responsibility includes a distributed energygeneration plant 110 and a wind farm electric power facility 220. Beyondinteracting with these power producing facilities, the regional controlmodule 225 is also aware of energy consumption and demand by residentialloads 250 and commercial loads 260. Assume that there is no wind andthus the wind production facility 220 is idle. Accordingly the regionalcontrol module manages the distribution of energy generated by the powerplant 110 and power drawn from the primary grid 205 to the variousenergy consumers 250, 260.

Further assume that a breeze begins to blow sufficient to power the windturbines. One by one a plurality of wind turbines come on line and beingproducing power. As each wind turbine begins producing power it isidentified to the regional control module 225 and indeed the entiredistributed energy resource network operating system as a wind turbinehaving particular characteristics and properties. Knowing thesecharacteristics and properties the regional control module can establishcommunication and control of the turbine. As the wind turbine(s) canprovide additional power the regional control module can decreaseproduction requests to the power plant 110 based on its analysis of boththe residential 250 and commercial 260 load and adjust the power drawnfrom the primary grid 205 to maintain the system within operating limitsor market based contractual limits.

In doing so the regional control module 225 can modify the distributionscheme (network topology) within its region to optimize power productionand distribution. Lastly assume that one of the wind turbines in thewind turbine farm 220 is of a type that is unknown to the regionalcontrol module. While producing power its characteristics, properties,and other pertinent data with respect to power production is notpossessed by the regional control module. According to one embodiment ofthe present invention, the regional 225 and local 215 control modulessend out a plurality of inquiries to the new wind turbine to ascertaindata pertinent to the wind turbine's integration into the distributedpower grid. This data can also be obtained through manual input byoperators. Once gained, this information is shared to the enterprisecontrol module 275 which stores the data in a repository accessible byall regional control modules.

Power generation at a traditional power plant occurs by generating steamwhich turns one or more steam driven turbines which thereafter drives anelectrical generator. As demand increases within the region there is afinite amount of time from when the demand is realized and the newamount of energy can be produced. This sort of response is different foreach type of power generation. For example, from the time an increasingdemand is realized to that when power generated by a gas turbine isavailable, two minutes may elapse. This means the time between when thecontrol interface issues a command to the gas turbine to begin producingpower to that when the power is actually realized at the substation maybe as much as five minutes or some other period of time. Alternatively,a steam powered turbine may be able to increase its output within 30seconds, a spinning natural gas reciprocating engine may be able toincrease its output in seconds and a flywheel may be able to contributeenergy instantaneously. The responsiveness to control inputs of eachpower producing system is different. Control algorithms within thedifferent layers of the present invention manage these distinctions sothat power production dynamically meets power demand at all times.Another embodiment of the present invention standardizes responses tocontrol inputs with respect to power generation. Knowledge of theresponse characteristics of DER enables the controller to reliably issueappropriate signals to produce desired results. By doing so each DERbecomes the equivalent of a “plug and play” energy production device.While each DER is unique, its interface into the control managementsystem of the present invention is standardized making the control andmanagement of a plurality of diverse DERs possible. The informationconcerning the performance characteristics, operating boundaries, andother constraints of DERs and the grid are used by the various controllayers to take local or regional actions without the need for a centraldecision making authority such as in conventional SCADA-based gridcontrol systems. This unique approach enables the present invention tobe highly scalable, rapidly respond to changing conditions andincorporate a diversity of generation, storage, and load managementassets geographically dispersed within the electric power system.

As with the communication between the regional control module 225 andthe enterprise control module 275, each local control module 215provides data to the regional control module 225 regarding DERcharacteristics. These characteristics may include maximum output,minimum output, response time, and other characteristics as would beknown to one skilled in the art. Understanding these characteristics,the regional control module 225 and the enterprise control module 275can manage power production and distribution without risking thereliability and safety of the grid.

Consider another example in which a regional control module 225recognizes an increase in power demand. Through the associated localcontrol modules 215 within the region, the regional control module 225can direct one or more additional power producers to meet this increasedamount. Understanding control response of each of the power producers,the regional control module can issue commands at the appropriate timeand in the appropriate sequence to meet the dynamic needs of the region.

The regional control module 225 is further aware of the electricityproducing capacity within the region and the limitations to thedistribution grid. The regional control module 225 understands topologywith respect to the power producers and power consumers and its ownability to distribute the power. Each regional control module 225 iscommunicatively coupled to an enterprise control module 275 via, in oneembodiment of the present invention, a wide area network 230. As oneskilled in the art will appreciate, a wide area network can be theInternet or other means to communicate data among remote locations. Inother embodiments of the present invention data can be exchanged betweenthe enterprise control module 275 and the regional control modules 225via a local area network or Intranet.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the enterprisecontrol module 275 includes the plurality of applications to aid in themanagement of a distributed power grid. These applications can include,inter alia, data visualization 280, smart grid controls 285 andenvironment simulation 290. The smart grid controls 285 includecapabilities such as active and reactive power flow control, voltage andVoltage Amprage Reactive (VAR) control on feeders or gridinterconnection points, intermittency management using various assets tocounteract the variability of power generation from renewable generationsources such as wind turbines and solar panels, and optimal dispatch ofgeneration, storage, or controllable loads to meet operations, cost, oremissions criteria.

The enterprise control module 275 is operable to manage the interactionof several regional control modules 225 and the power producers undertheir control. As previously described, each regional control module 225using applicable applications can dynamically manage the power consumersand power producers within its control. As demand (active power orreactive power) within a certain region managed by a regional controlmodule 225 increases or decreases one or more DER managementapplications can act to compensate for power production within aparticular region. The presence of an overreaching enterprise controlmodule 275 and regional control modules 225 enables this type of dynamicand stable control. However, it is recognized by the present inventionthat power consumer demand in one region may exceed the ability for thatregion's power producers. One feature of the present invention is thatthe enterprise control module 275 using a DER application is tasked tomanage and control requests for additional power as well as theavailability of excess power producing capacity. In essence, theenterprise control module provides system-level coordination, theregional control module provides regional coordination, and the localcontrol module provides fast control of assets thereby providing smoothcontrol over a large number of assets over different time scales anddifferent geographic reach to meet specific system goals.

The data visualization unit 280 is operable to provide a user or DERapplication with the current status of electricity demand and powerproducing capacity throughout the distributed power grid. At any pointin time a user can visualize the ability for power producers to provideadditional power, or the particular load experienced in a region.Moreover, the data visualization module 280 can indicate to a user theavailability of a path by which to distribute power. Prior to issuing acommand to regional control module 225 to increase the production ofelectricity, the enterprise control module 275 can simulate the effectsof a proposed command to test the stability of the grid under theproposed change.

The simulation model 290, utilizing real-time data from existingregional control modules 225 and their DER facilities, can initiate aseries of simulated commands to meet projected loads. Knowing thetopology of the distribution grid and the electrical properties of theelements within the affect of the control area, the simulation model 290can validate whether a proposed command will meet the increased loadwithin predefined limits such as safety and regulatory constraints. Oncea proposed command has been validated using the simulation module 290,the same commands can be passed to the smart grid control module 285 forexecution. This could be an automatic action or can be mediated by ahuman operator. This simulation model takes into account the behaviorand effects of the multi-layered distributed power grid control systemof the present invention deployed within the system. The ability of thesimulation to take into account the behavior of the multi-layereddistributed power grid control system is a distinguishing feature ofthis invention.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are a high level block diagrams showing a process flowfor implementing simulated (FIG. 3A) and actual (FIG. 3B) controlmethodology into a power system according to one embodiment of thepresent invention. In one embodiment of the present invention the datavisualization module 280 includes a user interface 315, data acquisitionand management module 310 and historical data and analysis module 305.These modules work in conjunction with one another to collect andanalyze data from the distributed power grid via regional controlmodules 225 to present to a user via the user interface 315 informationwith respect to the distributing grid including its status with respectto power production and power consumption.

Using this information a set of commands can be issued using the smartgrid control module 285 to manage power production and distributionwithin the distributed power grid. Within the smart grid control module285 exists an embedded power system simulation engine 320, a real-timecontrol engine 325 and a real-time, intelligent control interface 335.As shown in FIG. 3, the smart grid control module 285 interacts with asimulated power system 340 as part of the environment simulation model290. As one skilled in the relevant art will appreciate, the simulationmodule 290 can include a variety of models with respect to thedistributed power grid. As shown in this example, the environmentsimulation module 290 includes a simulated power system 340. However theenvironment simulation module 290 can also include models with respectto the distributing grid topology, DER characteristics, load models, andother characteristics which are critical to the accurate and dynamicmanagement of the distributed power grid.

Each of these modules (the smart grid control module 285, the real timeintelligent control interface, the simulated power system 340, thesimulation module 290, embedded power system simulation engine 320 andreal-time control engine 325) integrate with the multi-layereddistributed power grid control system of the present invention so as tomanage and control the power grid.

Turning back to FIG. 3, a user (or an application running on theenterprise control module when operating in an automatic mode),recognizing an increase in demand from the data supplied by the regionalcontrol modules throughout the distributing grid, can initiate a seriesof commands through the smart grid control module 285 using the embeddedpower system simulation engine 320 and the simulated power system 340.In the simulated environment real-time controls and intelligentinterface commands are developed and tested. Once developed, thecommands are executed in a simulated environment to ascertain whetherthe proposed solution will exceed or comply with predefined limitsincluding safety and regulatory constraints imposed on the distributedpower grid. In essence the multi-layered distributed power grid controlsystem of the present invention provides real-time actual data withrespect to the current grid topology and energy producers as well asreal-time data regarding energy consumption to a simulation engine whichthen carries out one or more simulations of proposed solutions to meetincreased electricity demands.

Once a series of simulations has been validated by the environmentsimulation module 290, the grid control strategy can be applied to theactual power system 350 without fear that the alteration in the gridwill adversely affect the grid's stability. This is accomplished byinstalling the multilayered distributed power grid control system 285,and the data management and visualization module 280, in the field andconnecting them to the physical grid 205 and devices 350, instead of thesimulated grid and assets 290. During application of the actual commandsto the actual power system 350, data is once again acquired through thedata acquisition and management module 310 to verify that the commandsissued are producing the desired results. The ability of the system toevaluate the behavior of the multilayered distributed power grid controlsystem 285 in simulation and then to deploy it directly to the field(with very minimal modifications such as device addressing) is one ofthe distinguishing features of the present invention.

Managerial applications operating on the enterprise layer 275 caninitiate commands to one or more of the regional control modules 225 toincrease power production and transfer power among the variety ofregions within the distributed power grid. For example, consider aregion managed and controlled by a regional control module 225 that isexperiencing an increase in power demand or load. This increase indemand may be the result of an unusually high temperature day resultingin increased air-conditioned use or the increase may be expected duringworking hours due to a high concentration of the industry located withinthe region. The regional control module 225 in conjunction and incommunication with the enterprise control module 275 can predict andrecognize this load increase using peak load management, demandresponse, or other DER management applications. The regional controlmodule 225 can further recognize that the power producers within theregion are incapable of producing enough power to meet the demand ortheir ability to produce such power would exceed safety and regulatoryconstraints.

Upon recognizing that such a situation may occur the regional controlmodule 225 issues a request for additional power through the enterprisecontrol module 275. Applications associated with the enterprise controlmodule 275 issue queries to the remaining regional control modules 225regarding their ability to produce excess power. Other regional controlmodules 225 can respond to the inquiry indicating that it has theability to increase power production in response to the request forpower by another region.

Understanding that one region has an excess capacity of power andanother has a need for additional power, as well as knowing the topologyof the distributed power grid, applications associated with theenterprise control module 275 can run a series of simulated controls toincrease power production of a first region and transfer the excesspower to a second region. Once the commands have been validated, thecommands are issued by the smart grid control module 285 to both of theaffected regional control modules 225; i.e., the region having an excesspower capacity and the regional control module 225 of the regionrequesting power. Furthermore, a distribution application can configureswitches throughout the distributed power grid to transfer power fromthe first region to the second region.

The request for power from one region and the response with excess powerfrom another, as managed by one or more applications affiliated with theenterprise control module 275, is a dynamic process. One skilled in therelevant art will recognize that the consumption of electricity within aparticular region varies dynamically, as does the ability of any regionto produce power. While historical data can provide insight regardingtypical loads experienced by one or more regions, as well as the abilityof another region to produce excess power, the production and transferof power must be controlled dynamically and in real-time. Within themultilayered distributed power grid control system of the presentinvention, different power management functions are carried out by thedifferent layers. The ability to “look-ahead” to make decisions aboutwhat actions to take using simulations exist at every level. This is asa feature of the distributed controller—not all decisions have to bemade at the enterprise level. This is also true for the simulations—manysimulations are carried out at the regional controller level, whilesystems level simulations may be carried out at the enterprise level. Inessence, simulations necessary for real-time control are carried outautomatically at the appropriate control layer, simulations to provideoperators with options that they may have under various operationssituations is carried out at the enterprise level.

FIG. 4 is a high level functional block diagram of a distributed energyresource network operating system for power production, topology andasset management according to another embodiment of the presentinvention. A Distributed Energy Resource Network Operating System(DER-NOS) 410 is interposed between a plurality of managementapplications and a variety of energy producing resources. According toone embodiment of the present invention, the DER-NOS interfaces with avariety of power producing resources using a gateway or interface (localcontrol module) 445. The gateway 445 is an interface that issuescommands in a correct order to sequence and format for that particulardevice to ensure that each device operates in the same manner frommanufacturer to manufacturer. This gateway 445 also runs the lowestlayer of the multilayered distributed power grid control system. In thisexample, the DER-NOS consistently interacts with DER such as aphotovoltaic cells 440, conventional power generation plants 430, mixedfuel generation capabilities 420, renewable generation resources 415 andthe like. It is also capable of managing additional assets such asstorage devices or load management systems. The DER-NOS has the abilityto manage and control a variety of power producing, storing, andconsuming resources utilizing a variety of application tools.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, distributed energyresources can be managed and controlled using application modulesincluding inter alia peak load management 465, distributed generationapplications 460, demand response applications 455, and other DER-NOSmonitoring applications 450. Each of these management and control toolsinteract with an engineering workstation to assist a user to deploy thesystem and to understand and manage the distributed energy resourcesthroughout the distributed power grid. This management and control isaccomplished via the DER-NOS. One skilled in the relevant art willrecognize that the engineering workstation 475 interacts, in oneembodiment, with a data visualization model 280 as described withrespect to FIG. 2. This engineering workstation enables the system to beconfigured to match field conditions.

FIG. 4 further shows an interaction between the engineering work station475 and the monitoring application 450 via a modeling simulation module,also referred to herein as the simulation module 290. The monitoringapplications provides real time data to the simulation module that inturn is used to configure and tune the system. This ability of thesystem to utilize real time data from the field to carry out simulationsto further tune the system in an integrated manner distinguishes thecurrent invention from the prior art.

The DER-NOS interacts with a variety of management applications 465,460, 455, 450 and the energy producing resources 440, 430, 420, 415 toprovide power management 480, topology management 485 and energyresource asset (DER) management 490. This management is accomplished,according to one embodiment of the present invention, a three layeroperating system acting as a bridge between the management applicationson one hand and the distributed energy resources on the other. Withoutthe DER-NOS of the present invention, each management and controlapplication would have to develop custom commands to gain data,interface with each DER, send instructions and how it implements otherfunctions that mesh the application with the various DER. The DER-NOS isa common platform for all power management applications to use. Forexample, according to one embodiment of the present invention, thedistributed generation application 460 does not need to know whatspecific commands must be issued to cause a particular type of steampower electrical generator to increase production. It simply issues aninstruction that the plant should increase production and the DER-NOSconforms the command to a format that the steam power electricalgenerator will recognize. Further, the DER-NOS also carries out“aggregation” and “virtualization” of DER. This is accompanied bydynamically pooling different DERs into groups based on user orapplication specified criteria. The combined capabilities of the DER inthe pool and operations that can be performed on the pool are calculatedby the DER-NOS. These “virtual” resources (with capabilities comparableto a conventional power plant) are now made available to the variety ofmanagement applications 465, 460, 455, 450. Availability, compatibility,assignment to pools and/or applications, conflict resolution, errorhandling and other resource management functions are carried out by theDER-NOS, much as a computer operating system assigns memory, processortime, and peripheral devices to applications. The ability of the presentsystem to manage resources and make them available individually, inpools, or as virtualized resources to applications for optimallyutilizing them for various functions is a significant advantage overprior systems.

FIG. 5 is a high level block diagram of a multilayered architecture forcontrolling a distributed power grid showing an expanded view of oneembodiment of a DER-NOS according to the present invention. As shown inFIG. 5, the DER-NOS includes a multilayered approach having localcontrol modules 510, regional control modules 520, and an enterprisecontrol module 530. The enterprise control module 530 is communicativelycoupled to each of a plurality of regional control modules 520 and eachregional control module 520 is communicatively coupled to a plurality oflocal control modules 510. The DER-NOS interacts with externalapplications and devices through custom interfaces 545, 555, and 565.Through these interfaces the DER-NOS gains the ability to interact withexisting DER assets, grid equipment, utility SCADA systems, and otherapplications to exchange data and control commands. These custominterfaces serve as adapters to translate implementation specificinterfaces to the common language used within the system.

The DER-NOS 410 is linked to a variety of management applications 580 aspreviously shown in FIG. 4. Each of the plurality of managementapplications 580 is linked to the DER-NOS 410 by an OPC server 531. Theenterprise control module 530 and the regional control module 520 bothinclude OPC client/servers 535 to aid in the communication between theDER-NOS 410 and the plurality of management applications 580. As will beunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the relevant art, utilization ofOPC is but one of many means to implement a communication interface.Many other such interfaces that are both reliable and fast can beutilized in conjunction with the present invention without departingfrom the scope of the inventive material. The enterprise control module530 uses, in this embodiment, an object model for each asset type withinthe DER-NOS. The object model not only defines the input and output to aparticular asset such as a DER, but also defines the control/systemresponse of changes in commands issued to the asset. Ensuring that anasset responds in a similar manner to a command provides the enterprisecontrol module the ability to maintain a stable and repeatable controlarchitecture. For example, if two generators responded differently to an“OFF” command, the complexity of implementing controls would bedifficult as the area under control expands, and the number of varyingassets increases. Using a common object information model resolves thisdilemma by providing both common information and controls. These commonobject models are implemented primarily at each local control module510, based on common object model definitions, and then propagatedthroughout the system. This approach ensures that the system caninterface with any asset in the field regardless of manufacturer orsite-specific customization and still have a common object modelrepresenting it. The mapping from site, asset, and implementationspecific details to a common object model is carried out by the localcontrol module 510.

The enterprise control module 530 is also linked to existing supervisorycontrol and data acquisition systems 540 through a custom interface.Through these systems and with additional data from each regionalcontrol module 520, the control unit 530 monitors and controls datapoints and devices through existing SCADA systems and DER-NOS-specificcontrol modules.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the enterprisecontrol module 530 includes a network topology module 532, controls 533by which to manage the regional control modules 520 and the energyresources, a dynamic configuration change handler 535, a regionalcontrol module interface handler 536 and an input/output interfacemanager 538. Regional control modules 520 each include network topologymodule 532, controls 533 to manage the energy resources within itsregion, a dynamic configuration change handler 535, a local controlmodule interface handler 525 and an input/output interface manager 538.

Each local control module 510 includes controls 533 by which to manageenergy resources using the asset interface handler 515. The localcontrol module 510 also includes and OPC client 534, a dynamicconfiguration change handler 535 and an input/output interface manager538. The local control module 510 interacts directly with the powerresources (also known herein as Distributed Energy Resources or DERs)560 and measurement systems through a custom interface 565. The regionalcontrol module 520 interacts with field systems 550 and/or subsystemcontrollers/applications through its custom interface 555. These threelayers of the DER-NOS 410 work together with management applications 580to dynamically manage and control a distributed power grid.

As can be appreciated by one skilled in the relevant art, knowing thenetwork topology is a critical aspect of managing the distributed powergrid. The network topology module 532 supports network topology analysisqueries which can be integrated into a particular control to enhance thecontrol range/capability. Network topology is the representation of theconnectivity between the various elements of the electric power system(transformers, busbars, breakers, feeders, etc) and the DER that isconnected to it. DER-NOS uses this subsystem to ensure that futurecontrols can be safely performed while limiting the risk to thestability of the grid. This is accomplished by running load flowcalculations and dynamic simulations to predict the future state of thesystem based on proposed control actions and evaluating whether theresulting state violates any stability, reliability, or operationscriteria of the network. The network topology module 532 subsystem canalso receive dynamic status updates of the electrical network from avariety of data sources. This allows the network topology module to beupdated with the latest information about the state of the “real” systemso that predictions can be made with the most recent informationavailable.

The network topology module 532 associated with the enterprise controlmodule 530 can issue queries to the regional control module 520 and waitfor results. The regional control module 520 uses its own networktopology module 532 and control algorithms to compute results forqueries from enterprise control module 530. In this way, the enterprisecontrol module 530 does not need to analyze the entire network itself,but rather distributes the analysis to the regional control modules 520.

The control subsystem 517 associated with the local control module 510de-codes commands provided from the regional control module 520 directedat power resources 560. The controls subsystem 533 ensures that thetargeted asset responds consistently and reliably. This operationtranslates the common object model based commands used within the systemto the site, equipment, and implementation specific commands required tooperate the DER 560.

The input/output interface manager 538 provides an interface managementsystem to handle remote communications between the enterprise controlmodule 530 and external systems such as SCADA systems and otherenterprise applications. Within the regional control module 520, theinput/output interface manager 538 handles remote communications withfield devices and systems and subsystems 550 and provides the ability toexchange information and control signals with external devices(distributed energy resources, meters, etc). These input/outputinterface modules 538, the regional control module interface 536, localcontrol module interface 525, and the asset interface handler 515 enablethe system to map external data points, devices, and systems to thecommon object models used within the system to ensure consistency andreliability between the data used in each subsystem.

Field systems or subsystem controllers and applications 550 is anysystem external to DER-NOS that the regional control module 520 has toexchange data and control signals with. Example would be a switch(breaker) at a substation.

The dynamic configuration change handler 535, found in each module isthe engine that accepts field signals, information from other systemssuch as utility SCADA, or user inputs and responds to changes in theconfiguration of the network (network topology), availability of assets,or communications system changes by making internal changes toappropriate parts of the system. Since the DER-NOS is a distributedcontroller as previously described, the dynamic configuration handler535 is the engine that ensures that real time change informationpropagates appropriately throughout the system (without having toshutdown and restart the system) and various resources (DER and gridassets) are put into new modes of operation dynamically.

Typically the local control module 510 only interacts with singledevices or a small group of directly connected devices at a single site.Hence it does not require the more sophisticated dynamic configurationmanager 535 that deals with configuration changes across multipledevices/sites that are geographically dispersed. The controls at thelocal control module 533 has the capability to manage configurationchanges as required for the devices to which the local control module510 is connected.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart depicting local control module logical operationsaccording to one embodiment of the present invention. Each layer of theDER-NOS 410 architecture operates independent of the other layers suchthat if and when communications are lost between layers or othersubsystems fail, each control module can continue to operate in afailsafe mode until other systems come back on-line or untilpre-programmed sequences, such as a shut down sequence, are triggered.

The local control module operates by carrying out operations based on aprior system state 610. From that state the local control module updates620 the status of each connected DER as well as local grid conditionsand other local constraints on the system. Next an update request issent 650 from the local control module to the regional control module.Updates are received and thereafter the local control module determinesthe next actions to be taken and/or response to be sent to the regionalcontrol module 670. From that point the local control module carries out680 one or more actions and updates the regional control module withrespect to these actions.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart depicting the operational logic of a regionalcontrol module. As with the local control module, the regional controlmodule carries out actions based on a prior system state 710. Theregional control modules receives information from and updates thestatus of each connected local control module 720 as well as the networkstatus from SCADA and/or subsystem controllers. Grid measurements withinthe region of responsibility as well as monitored events are alsoupdated. Armed with an knowledge of the status of the local controlmodules under supervision, the regional control module requests 740updates from the enterprise control module including the objective theregional control module should be satisfying.

The regional control thereafter determines a next course of action 760to meet these objectives. In doing so the regional control modulesevaluates 770 the consequences of each proposed action using localsimulation and local intelligent algorithms. Alternate actions are alsoconsidered 780 until a final set of actions or warnings are determined.Lastly the regional control module carries out 790 the determined set ofactions and sends a response to the enterprise control module informingit of these actions as well as commands to the applicable local controlmodules.

Finally FIG. 8 is a flowchart depicting the logical operation of anenterprise control module according to one embodiment of the presentinvention. Again the enterprise control module carries out its actionsbased on the prior state of the system 810. As the overall governingentity the enterprise control module updates 820 the status of connectedregional control modules, enterprise applications and other enterpriseassets with which it interacts. System status updates are also sent out850 to the presentation subsystem that is used to update the user(human) interface system. Likewise the user interface can be used toreceive user inputs when provided.

The enterprise control module thereafter determines what action to takenext 870 by evaluating the consequences of various actions by conductingglobal simulations and intelligent algorithms. Alternate actions areconsidered 880 until a final acceptable set of actions or warnings isdetermined. Once determined the enterprise control module then executes890 these actions and sends out response and commands and new commandsto the connected regional control modules.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of one method embodiment for managing powerdistribution and production in a distributed power grid according to thepresent invention. As will be appreciated by one skilled in the relevantart, the control and management of distributed energy resources using anetwork operating system can include among other things allocation ofenergy production, modification of network topology, energy storageallocations, load management, simulations. FIG. 9 shows one methodexample of a reallocation of power resources in a distributed powergrid. One skilled in the art will recognize that this method example isrepresentative of the interactions between various DER managementapplications and energy resources via a DER-NOS and is not limiting inthe scope or capabilities of the DER-NOS.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, managementapplications operating through an enterprise control module conductspredictive power system analysis based on projected power production andpower consumption 910. As the power system analysis is conducted actualpower production and consumption is monitored within each regionalcontrol module 920. In addition, network topology is analyzed as well asnetwork connectivity 930.

Upon receiving 940 at the enterprise control module a request foradditional power, A demand response application of the enterprisecontrol module identifies one or more regions having excess powerproduction capacity 950. Thereafter the management applicationdetermines a proposed reallocation of power production resources andnetwork connectivity modifications to meet the received request 960.

A simulation of the proposed reallocation of power production resourcesis initiated along with simulations of connectivity changes in thedistributed grid 970. Responsive to the results of the simulationmeeting predefined constraints, the control application constructs aseries of commands to direct the proposed power reallocation 980.

With the proposed reallocation of power production resources validated,the management application and control application directly send via theenterprise control module commands 990 to the applicable regionalcontrol modules. Upon receiving the reallocation commands, the regionalcontrol module issues power production commands to power producerswithin its applicable region and/or modifies its network topology todistribute the excess power to meet the load request of other regions.

Embodiments of the present invention are operable to dynamically manageand control a distributed power grid having a plurality of powerproduction resources. A plurality of regional cells within a distributedpower grid are autonomously managed using regional control modulesoperating in conjunction with a multilayered network operating system.Each regional control module is connectively coupled to an enterprisecontrol module which interfaces with various management and controlapplications overseeing the distributed power grid. In addition eachregional control module is associated with a plurality of local controlmodules which directly interface with power producing resources withinthe region standardizing DER interfaces. Power production and powerconsumption are continuously monitored and analyzed. In one embodimentof the present invention, upon the determination that a region's powerconsumption exceeds its power producing capability, managementapplications, operating through the enterprise control module,dynamically reallocates power production resources throughout the grid.This reallocation of power production and distribution is continuouslymonitored and adjusted to ensure that the grid remains stable, reliableand safe.

While the present invention has been described by way of power gridmanagement it is equally applicable and capable of distributed powermanagement within commercial facilities, campuses, or anywhere there aredistribution lines that carry power between rooms, buildings, renewablepower sources, load management systems, electric vehicles and the like.This is true for larger commercial campuses, military bases, remoteoff-grid villages and the like. The present invention dynamically formsand manages distributed power systems rather than having staticallyformed microgrids at a facility or remote location.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the relevant art, portions ofthe present invention can be implemented on a conventional orgeneral-purpose computer system such as a main-frame computer, apersonal computer (PC), a laptop computer, a notebook computer, ahandheld or pocket computer, and/or a server computer. A typical systemcomprises a central processing unit(s) (CPU) or processor(s) coupled toa random-access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a keyboard, aprinter, a pointing device, a display or video adapter connected to adisplay device, a removable (mass) storage device (e.g., floppy disk,CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, or the like), a fixed (mass) storage device(e.g., hard disk), a communication (COMM) port(s) or interface(s), and anetwork interface card (NIC) or controller (e.g., Ethernet). Althoughnot shown separately, a real-time system clock is included with thesystem in a conventional manner.

The CPU comprises a suitable processor for implementing the presentinvention. The CPU communicates with other components of the system viaa bi-directional system bus (including any necessary input/output (I/O)controller circuitry and other “glue” logic). The bus, which includesaddress lines for addressing system memory, provides data transferbetween and among the various components. RAM serves as the workingmemory for the CPU. The ROM contains the basic input/output system code(BIOS), a set of low-level routines in the ROM that application programsand the operating systems can use to interact with the hardware,including reading characters from the keyboard, outputting characters toprinters, and so forth.

Mass storage devices provide persistent storage on fixed and removablemedia such as magnetic, optical, or magnetic-optical storage systems,flash memory, or any other available mass storage technology. The massstorage may be shared on a network, or it may be a dedicated massstorage. Typically a fixed storage stores code and data for directingthe operation of the computer system including an operating system, userapplication programs, driver and other support files, as well as otherdata files of all sorts. Typically, the fixed storage serves as the mainhard disk for the system.

In basic operation, program logic (including that which implements themethodology of the present invention described below) is loaded from theremovable storage or fixed storage into the main (RAM) memory forexecution by the CPU. During operation of the program logic, the systemaccepts user input from a keyboard and pointing device, as well asspeech-based input from a voice recognition system (not shown). Thekeyboard permits selection of application programs, entry ofkeyboard-based input or data, and selection and manipulation ofindividual data objects displayed on the screen or display device.Likewise, the pointing device, such as a mouse, track ball, pen device,or the like, permits selection and manipulation of objects on thedisplay device. In this manner, these input devices support manual userinput for any process running on the system.

The computer system displays text and/or graphic images and other dataon the display device. The video adapter, which is interposed betweenthe display and the system's bus, drives the display device. The videoadapter, which includes video memory accessible to the CPU, providescircuitry that converts pixel data stored in the video memory to araster signal suitable for use by a cathode ray tube (CRT) raster orliquid crystal display (LCD) monitor. A hard copy of the displayedinformation, or other information within the system, may be obtainedfrom the printer or other output device.

The system itself communicates with other devices (e.g., othercomputers) via the NIC connected to a network (e.g., Ethernet network,Bluetooth wireless network, or the like). The system may alsocommunicate with local occasionally-connected devices (e.g., serialcable-linked devices) via the COMM interface, which may include a RS-232serial port, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, or the like.Devices that will be commonly connected locally to the interface includelaptop computers, handheld organizers, digital cameras, and the like.

As previously described, the present invention can also be employed in anetwork setting such as a local area network or wide area network andthe like. Such networks may also include mainframe computers or servers,such as a gateway computer or application server (which may access adata repository or other memory source). A gateway computer serves as apoint of entry into each network. The gateway may be coupled to anothernetwork by means of a communication link. Further, the gateway computermay be indirectly coupled to one or more devices. The gateway computermay also be coupled to a storage device (such as a data repository). Thegateway computer may be implemented utilizing a variety ofarchitectures.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the gateway computer maybe located a great geographic distance from the network, and similarly,the devices may be located a substantial distance from the networks aswell. For example, the network may be located in California while thegateway may be located in Texas, and one or more of the devices may belocated in New York. The devices may connect to the wireless networkusing a networking protocol such as the TCP/IP over a number ofalternative connection media such as cellular phone, radio frequencynetworks, satellite networks, etc. The wireless network preferablyconnects to the gateway using a network connection such as TCP or UDP(User Datagram Protocol) over IP, X.25, Frame Relay, ISDN (IntegratedServices Digital Network), PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network),etc. The devices may alternatively connect directly to the gateway usingdial connection. Further, the wireless network may connect to one ormore other networks (not shown) in an analogous manner.

In preferred embodiments, portions of the present invention can beimplemented in software. Software programming code that embodies thepresent invention is typically accessed by the microprocessor fromlong-term storage media of some type, such as a hard drive. The softwareprogramming code may be embodied on any of a variety of known media foruse with a data processing system such as a hard drive or CD-ROM. Thecode may be distributed on such media, or may be distributed from thememory or storage of one computer system over a network of some type toother computer systems for use by such other systems. Alternatively, theprogramming code may be embodied in the memory and accessed by themicroprocessor using the bus. The techniques and methods for embodyingsoftware programming code in memory, on physical media, and/ordistributing software code via networks are well known and will not befurther discussed herein.

An implementation of the present invention can be executed in a Webenvironment, where software installation packages are downloaded using aprotocol such as the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) from a Webserver to one or more target computers which are connected through theInternet. Alternatively, an implementation of the present invention maybe executed in other non-Web networking environments (using theInternet, a corporate intranet or extranet, or any other network) wheresoftware packages are distributed for installation using techniques suchas Remote Method Invocation (RMI), OPC or Common Object Request BrokerArchitecture (CORBA). Configurations for the environment include aclient/server network as well as a multi-tier environment. Or, as statedabove, the present invention may be used in a stand-alone environment,such as by an installer who wishes to install a software package from alocally-available installation media rather than across a networkconnection. Furthermore, it may happen that the client and server of aparticular installation both reside in the same physical device, inwhich case a network connection is not required. Thus, a potentialtarget system being interrogated may be the local device on which animplementation of the present invention is implemented. A softwaredeveloper or software installer who prepares a software package forinstallation using the present invention may use a network-connectedworkstation, a stand-alone workstation, or any other similar computingdevice. These environments and configurations are well known in the art.

As will be understood by those familiar with the art, portions of theinvention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing fromthe spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Likewise, theparticular naming and division of the modules, managers, functions,systems, engines, layers, features, attributes, methodologies, and otheraspects are not mandatory or significant, and the mechanisms thatimplement the invention or its features may have different names,divisions, and/or formats. Furthermore, as will be apparent to one ofordinary skill in the relevant art, the modules, managers, functions,systems, engines, layers, features, attributes, methodologies, and otheraspects of the invention can be implemented as software, hardware,firmware, or any combination of the three. Of course, wherever acomponent or portion of the present invention is implemented assoftware, the component can be implemented as a script, as a standaloneprogram, as part of a larger program, as a plurality of separatescripts, and/or programs, as a statically or dynamically linked library,as a kernel loadable module, as a device driver, and/or in every and anyother way known now or in the future to those of skill in the art ofcomputer programming. Additionally, the present invention is in no waylimited to implementation in any specific programming language or forany specific operation system or environment. Accordingly, thedisclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative butnot limiting of the scope of the invention which is set forth in thefollowing claims. While there have been described above the principlesof the present invention in conjunction with the electrical distributiongrid, it is to be clearly understood that the foregoing description ismade only by way of example and not as a limitation to the scope of theinvention. Particularly, it is recognized that the teachings of theforegoing disclosure will suggest other modifications to those personsskilled in the relevant art. Such modifications may involve otherfeatures that are already known per se and which may be used instead ofor in addition to features that are already described herein. Althoughclaims have been formulated in this application to particularcombinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of thedisclosure herein also includes any novel feature or any novelcombination of features disclosed either explicitly or implicitly or anygeneralization or modification thereof which would be apparent topersons skilled in the relevant art, whether or not such relates to thesame invention as presently claimed in any claim and whether or not itmitigates any or all of the same technical problems as confronted by thepresent invention. The Applicant hereby reserves the right to formulatenew claims to such features and/or combinations of such features duringthe prosecution of the present application or of any further applicationderived therefrom.

We claim:
 1. A method for managing a transmission/distribution powergrid wherein the transmission/distribution power grid includes aplurality of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) coupled to a pluralityof power consumers, said method comprising: managing at an enterprisecontrol module power flow parameters within thetransmission/distribution power grid so as to stay within definedoperating limits using self-altering and/or predictive calculations;receiving at one or more of a plurality of regional control modulespower requests from an enterprise control module wherein each regionalcontrol module is associated with a region associated with a portion ofthe plurality of the DERs; receiving at the enterprise control moduleregional power flow requests from at least one of the plurality ofregional control modules and/or system users; issuing by the enterprisecontrol module power flow commands in response to receiving regionalpower flow requests from the at least one of the plurality of regionalcontrol modules and/or system users; and managing at each of theplurality of regional control modules DERs within its associated region.2. A method for managing a transmission/distribution power grid whereinthe transmission/distribution power grid includes a plurality ofDistributed Energy Resources (DERs) coupled to a plurality of powerconsumers, said method comprising: managing at an enterprise controlmodule power flow parameters within the transmission/distribution powergrid so as to stay within defined operating limits using self-alteringand/or predictive calculations; receiving at one or more of a pluralityof regional control modules power requests from an enterprise controlmodule wherein each regional control module is associated with a regionassociated with a portion of the plurality of the DERs; managing at eachof the plurality of regional control modules DERs within its associatedregion; and issuing local power flow commands by the regional controlmodule in response to receiving local power flow requests from the atleast one of the plurality of local control modules and/or system users.3. A method for managing a transmission/distribution power grid whereinthe transmission/distribution power grid includes a plurality ofDistributed Energy Resources (DERs) coupled to a plurality of powerconsumers, said method comprising: managing at an enterprise controlmodule power flow parameters within the transmission/distribution powergrid so as to stay within defined operating limits using self-alteringand/or predictive calculations; receiving at one or more of a pluralityof regional control modules power requests from an enterprise controlmodule wherein each regional control module is associated with a regionassociated with a portion of the plurality of the DERs; initiatingcommands to one or more of the regional control modules to vary powerflow in a first region in response to varied demand in a second region;and managing at each of the plurality of regional control modules DERswithin its associated region.
 4. A method for managing atransmission/distribution power grid wherein thetransmission/distribution power grid includes a plurality of DistributedEnergy Resources (DERs) coupled to a plurality of power consumers, saidmethod comprising: managing at an enterprise control module power flowparameters within the transmission/distribution power grid so as to staywithin defined operating limits using self-altering and/or predictivecalculations; receiving at one or more of a plurality of regionalcontrol modules power requests from an enterprise control module whereineach regional control module is associated with a region associated witha portion of the plurality of the DERs; initiating commands to one ormore of the regional control modules to vary power flow in a region inresponse to user initiated request; and managing at each of theplurality of regional control modules DERs within its associated region.5. The method for managing a transmission/distribution power grid ofclaim 1, further comprising determining DER static and/or dynamicoperations based on a predicted or derived power flow.
 6. The method formanaging a transmission/distribution power grid of claim 1, furthercomprising modifying connectivity paths among the enterprise controlmodule, the plurality of regional control modules, a plurality of localcontrol modules and the plurality of DERs.
 7. The method for managing atransmission/distribution power grid of claim 3, operating a regionelectrically separated from the transmission/distribution power gridautonomously.
 8. The method for managing a transmission/distributionpower grid of claim 7, further comprising reincorporating andsynchronizing DERs operations of an autonomously operating region backinto the transmission/distribution power grid.
 9. The method formanaging a transmission/distribution power grid of claim 4, operating aregion electrically separated from the transmission/distribution powergrid autonomously.
 10. The method for managing atransmission/distribution power grid of claim 9, further comprisingreincorporating and synchronizing DERs operations of an autonomouslyoperating region back into the transmission/distribution power grid. 11.The method for managing a transmission/distribution power grid of claim2, 3 or 4 further comprising modifying connectivity paths among theenterprise control module, the plurality of regional control modules, aplurality of local control modules and the plurality of DERs.
 12. Themethod for managing a transmission/distribution power grid of claim 1,2, 3 or 4 wherein defined operating limits include power generation,power storage, or power consumption.
 13. The method for managing atransmission/distribution power grid of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 furthercomprising predicting an active power excess or an active powershortfall based on data received from the one or more DERs.